When you stare in the mirror at your thinning crown and receding hairline, the question “am I going bald? how long will this take?” starts arising. You feel concerned and the dreadful thoughts can completely take control of your mind.
It’s unfortunate that most men are victims of their heredity and experience various degrees of pattern baldness throughout their lives.
We all can admit that male pattern baldness is something we all fear, yet some men don’t do anything about it when they still can.
The Hair Loss Process
The condition in which baldness occurs is usually known as androgenetic alopecia and for some people, it may take a few years once one starts thinning until one is fully bald, whereas in others the process is slower and it takes up to 25 years to fully bald.
Naturally, at first, the hair starts thinning from the front and sides, and can often be seen as a receding hairline in an M-shaped pattern.
Simultaneously, the hair also starts thinning on the top of the head and is first noticeable by a bald patch developing in the middle of the crown or the vertex.
Hair growth in the front, temple areas, and the vertex will continue to slowly deteriorate, and gradually thinning of the entire hair may continue until only a horseshoe-shaped area of hair is left on the head.
Why Men Go Bald at a Young Age
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is an androgen. It contributes to the advancement of “male” sex characteristics, such as the hair on the body, muscle mass, sexual health, and fertility, but it can also be the culprit behind hair loss for those who are genetically prone to DHT sensitivity, which can cause some young men to start losing hair as soon as they enter puberty or teenage years when DHT levels increase.
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is derived from testosterone. About 10% of a man’s testosterone is converted into DHT. This process of conversion happens with the help of an enzyme known as 5-alpha reductase (5-AR).
Once the DHT levels increase and flow through the bloodstream, the hormone can attach to androgen receptors in the hair follicles which can cause them to shrink.
Once the hair follicles shrink and deteriorate, a process is known as hair miniaturization, they will be less capable of growing and holding thick strands of hair. Instead, the hair will be thinner, finer, and shorter, until it stops growing hair altogether.
Though baldness generally occurs as men age, in recent years there has been an increasing number of young men seeking advice and treatments for thinning hair.
Other reasons for hair loss in a young man are hormone changes, stress, auto-immune diseases, and diet.
The Hair Loss Process Timeline: How long does it take to bald?
The time it takes for you to go bald once you start noticing the first signs of hair loss can be anywhere from a few months until 50 years, and some men don’t even go completely bald in their lifetime even though they start thinning early.
It all depends on many factors such as how genetically prone you are to hair loss, how sensitive your hair follicles are to DHT, the levels of DHT in your body, and lifestyle choices.
Do All Men Go Bald?
The vast majority of men go bald because of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness), which is a condition that occurs mainly due to one’s genetics. Most men have already experienced some hair loss by the age of 50, and almost 70% of men experience hair loss during their life. Also, roughly 25% of men experience early signs of hair loss before the age of 21.
Baldness is most often inherited, but the degree of hair loss can still vary between family members and siblings as it depends on many factors, such as how genetically prone one is to hormonal factors, one’s sensitivity to hormones, and one’s actual hormone levels.
In other words, when you reach puberty and start producing androgens, these sex hormones will affect your body depending on your genetics. If you are genetically susceptible to hair loss, your hair follicles will be the victim of hair miniaturization.
Hair miniaturization is when the hair follicles are damaged by DHT and the hair falls out of your scalp and is then replaced by smaller and thinner hairs (read more). Eventually, all that is left is a barely noticeable fuzz is all that remains, or it may become just as hairless as one’s palms.
Types of Hair Loss – Receding Hairline vs. Going Thinning on Top of the Head
Receding Hairline
A receding hairline in males can begin at any time during or after puberty. By the age of 30, many men complain about their receding hairline. This process usually starts with their temples, and the hairline moves further back across the top of the head.
As the hairline continues to recede, a typical pattern is to be left with an M-shaped pattern. The receding hairline might start above the temples, while the hair in the center above the forehead remains for a while.
Thinning on Top of the Head
Thinning from the top of the head is most likely because of androgenic alopecia, commonly known as male pattern baldness. This type of baldness is the most common type of hair loss among men and is related to male sex hormones, androgens, and genetic proneness to balding.
Thinning of hair from the top of the head usually starts in the vertex or crown area, and eventually develops a bald patch which gradually increases in size, with a little degeneration of the hairline around the temples.
What To Do When Going Bald – Fight It or Accept It?
If you choose to accept going bald, you have my respect. I know how tough it is to accept one’s hair loss.
It is not easy to deal with the crippling panic of losing one’s hair, and once you take the plunge and shave it all off and become comfortable with your new look, it can be quite liberating.
Losing hair reminds us of our mortality and the fact that we are aging. It also changes our appearance which can cause a serious blow to our self-esteem and our self-image, which may also affect our own perceived attractiveness.
But consider this: Since baldness happens to every other man in the whole world, it’s a sign of manhood.
About half of the men around the age of 50 have experienced hair loss, at age 70, the number is almost 80%.
You can try to gradually embrace going bald by cutting your hair short. Short hair tends to make bald spots less obvious and also gives a lift to your thinning hair.
You can similarly shave your head and grow your facial hair to compensate for your loss of hair. Working out in the gym and adding some muscles to your body can also help to improve your new manly appearance.
But if you choose to fight your hair loss instead of embracing it, it’s better to start sooner rather than later.
Hair loss treatments and hair restoration methods have been improved a lot in recent decades. Always consult with your doctor if you are considering hair loss treatments. The possibilities are many:
- A 5-alpha reductase inhibitor such as finasteride or dutasteride can slow down or halt the hair loss process by reducing your DHT levels.
- A compound such as RU55841 can bind to the androgens and “occupy” them and thereby protecting your hair follicles from DHT.
- Topical minoxidil can stimulate and improve hair growth, and help weak hair follicles grow and hold thick hair.
- A low-level laser therapy device can also stimulate hair growth in follicles by emitting light at optimal wavelengths for inducing hair growth.
- A hair transplant can be done by FUT, FUE, MFU, or DHI methods, and can take hair grafts from the back of your head and place them on the areas where you have already lost hair.
“If My Hairline Is Receding, Will I Go Bald?”
No, even if your hairline is receding, it doesn’t mean you are going to be 100% bald, but it is an early sign of balding.
Almost all men – and even women – experience this while getting older, but it doesn’t mean you’re getting bald.
However, the most noticeable early sign of balding is a receding hairline, and other signs such as gradual thinning hair are not easy to notice until almost 50% of the hair is lost or miniaturized.
“If My Maternal Grandfather Is Bald, Will I Be?”
If your maternal grandfather is bald, there is approximately a 50% chance you will be bald. It depends on whether you have inherited the bald gene from your mom or not. Baldness comes from the X chromosome, and one of your mom’s X chromosomes came from her dad. Therefore if you are a male, you will get your X chromosome from your mom and the Y chromosome from your dad.
Therefore, if the X chromosome from your mom was the one she got from your maternal grandfather, then you will most probably have the bald genes. On the contrary, if your dad has a full head of hair, then it decreases your chances of going bald compared with men whose fathers were bald.
Conclusion
If you have a bald patch or hair receding lines, in 95% of the cases the reason is due to hereditary androgenetic alopecia. It can affect men of all ages, even teenagers. How long it will take until you are completely bald varies from person to person.
You can’t prevent baldness if you are genetically prone to it, but there are treatments and hair restoration solutions such as medicines, hair transplants, and laser therapy, so make sure to consult with your doctor if that is something you are considering.